armstrong



(No Model.)

-F. ARMSTRONG.

WRENCH.

Patented Mar.27,1883.

Jig.

UNITED STATES ATnNT FRANK ARMSTRONG, or Bainenronr, connncriour...

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,544, dated March 27, 1883. Application illed February 2, 1883. (No model.)

To tell whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of `iiaireld and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wrenches, and has for its object to secure a position and rigid grip, in connection with greater ease and rapidity of action, than has ever before been attained, while'at the same time the parts shall be few in number, strongly made, and the device, as a whole, economical in cost and not liable to get out of order; and with Vthese ends in view my invention consists in certain details oi' construction, which constitute au improvement on the wrench patented to D. P. Foster, No. 222,484, December 9, 1879, all ,of which will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may understand more fully how to make and use my im! provement, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letters to the accompanyin g drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a. side elevation of my improved wrench; Fig. 2, a section of the same, and Fig. 3 a detail view.

Similar letters denote like parts in the several gures of the drawings.

A A. represents the stationary bar, which is provided at its end with the usual jaw, B, and has upon its inner edge ratchet-teeth a, inclining backward. A frame, C, slides easily over this bar, and carries with it the movable jaw D and the handle E, which is pivoted to the frame C at F, and has a lug or cam, Gr, which engages a corresponding depression, H, in the sliding bar for the purpose of giving the movable jaw a forward and backward motion independent oi the other parts. A spring, b, throws the handle up when it is free, and causes it to draw back jarticle t0 be grasped.

the movable jaw in contact with the sliding frame and keep it there as long as the handle is free. These parte correspond substantia-ily to those shown in the patent above referred to` Within the sliding. frame, and engaging in a socket in the front part thereof, or pivoted thereto, l place a dog, K, having ratchet teeth k'in its under side, which engage with those on the inner edge of the stationary bar. From the opposite sides oi' the dog two lugs oriinger-pieces, L L, project through the open sides of the sliding frame. Above the dog is arranged a spring, M, which forces the teeth on the dog into constant engagement with those upon the stationary bar. Both sets of teeth incline backward, but are straight on their forward edges, so that a rig-id obstruction is always presented to 'the backward move ment of the jaw D, uniess the dog shall be lifted againstithe force of the spring M. o

The faces of the jaws may be left smooth or roughened, as may best snit the purpose for which the wrench is intended.

It will be seen that the adjustment of my improved wrench is practically instantaneous,

it being only necessary to slide the movable the jaws touch the When adjusted, the pressure upon the handle E through the action ot' the cam Gr forces the movable jaw still further forward, causing it to rmly grip the article, no matter what may be its shape. This latter movement is independent of the action of the dog and spring. To move the jaw D backward, it is only necessary to lift the dog by means of finger-pieces L As amodiiication of this device, the ratchet-teeth a might be made on the opposite side of the bar A, and the location of the dog K changed accordingly, making the operative parts on ,the outside of the stationary bar instead of on the inside7 as shown; but the form shown is more compact and deemed preferable.'

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a wrench, the stationary bar having ratchetteeth and a jaw, in combination with jaw' along the bar until a. sliding freine carrying an independentlyy In testimony whereoflafix my signature in movable jaw operated by the handle, and a presence of two Witnesses. t dog operating independently of the handle,

and having ratchet-teeth which engage with y FRANK ARMSTRONG. 5 those upon the bar, whereby the sliding frame Witnesses:

is rigidly held when adjusted, but the jaw is W. T. HAVILAND,

free to be operated by the handle. F. W. SMITH, Jr. 

